1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting structure for mounting a flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to simply as "FPC") which performs the transfer of signals to a recording head in a recording/reproducing apparatus using a recording/reproducing disk such as a floppy disk or a hard disk, as well as a recording/reproducing apparatus using the mounting structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording/reproducing apparatus (hereinafter referred to simply as "apparatus") using a conventional flexible printed circuit board ("FPC" hereinafter) will be described below in connection with an example of a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. The conventional apparatus, is partially illustrated in FIG. 8, which shows a carriage 8 that can reciprocate in arrow A directions.
The carriage 8 is provided with a head mount 8a at a lower position and a pivotable head supporting arm 11 at an upper position. A pair of magnetic heads as recording heads (not shown) are mounted respectively to tip ends of the head mount 8a and the head supporting arm 11 in an opposed relation to each other.
The paired recording heads are brought into elastic contact respectively with the upper and lower sides of a recording disk such as a floppy disk (not shown). The recording disk is rotated at a high speed while the carriage 8 is allowed to reciprocate in the arrow A directions, whereby information can be recorded, reproduced, or erased, with respect to the upper and lower sides of the recording disk.
In an apparatus of this type, one end of each of the FPCs 21 and 22 is connected to one of a pair of recording heads (not shown), while the opposite ends thereof are connected through an FPC holder 23 to circuit patterns 25b formed on a printed circuit board 25 (as shown in FIG. 9).
In the conventional mounting structure for mounting the conventional FPCs 21 and 22, the FPCs 21 and 22 that are connected to the paired recording heads extend outwardly from the exterior of the carriage 8 and are attached to the FPC holder 23.
The FPCs 21 and 22 are, respectively, each provided on an end in its place thereof with terminals-formed portions 21b and 22b, on which are formed terminals 21a and 22a in an exposed state. Using a double-coated adhesive tape, the terminals-formed portions 21b and 22b are affixed, respectively, to FPC mounting portions 23a and 23b which are integral with the FPC holder 23. The FPC holder is formed in a general U shape.
The FPC holder 23, with the two FPCs 21 and 22 affixed thereto, is inserted through an aperture 24a formed in a chassis 24. The lower end portions 23c of the FPC holder 23 are inserted into mounting apertures 25a formed in the printed circuit board 25.
The terminals 21a and 22a of the FPCs 21 and 22, respectively and the circuit patterns 25b on the printed circuit board 25 are rendered conductive with each other electrically by solder 26.
In a recording/reproducing apparatus using such an FPC mounting structure, wherein the FPCs 21 and 22 are mounted to the printed circuit board 25 through the FPC holder 23, the FPCs 21 and 22 are not likely to fall down nor is there any fear that the terminals mounted on the printed circuit board 25 may become non-conductive, even if the carriage 8 is reciprocated in the arrow A directions at high speed, thus ensuring high reliability.
However, in the above conventional mounting structure for the FPCs 21 and 22, since the FPCs 21 and 22 are mounted to the FPC mounting portions 23a and 23b, which are integral with a single FPC holder 23, if there arises the necessity of repairing one of the paired recording heads due to failure thereof it has been impossible to remove the FPCs 21 and 22 the FPC holder 23 from the printed circuit board 25 unless the solders 26 of both FPCs are removed. Consequently, repairing the apparatus is difficult and time consuming (i.e., the repair efficiency is low).
In addition there often occurs wobbling in the FPC holder at the time of soldering the FPCs 21 and 22 to the printed circuit board 25. The terminals 21a and 22a on the FPCs 21 and 22 may be displaced from the circuit patterns 25b on the printed circuit board 25, which may result in one or both of the FPCs 21 and 22 being soldered in an unsatisfactory state.